7220/10-1

05/10/2012
Eni Norge AS, operator of production licence 533, has completed drilling of wildcat well 7220/10-1 in the Barents Sea. The well was drilled about 50 kilometres northwest of the Snøhvit field.

The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Lower Cretaceous to Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (Knurr and Hekkingen formations). The secondary target was to prove petroleum in Middle to Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks (Stø, Nordmela, Tubåen and Fruholmen formations)

In the primary target, a 38-metre gas/condensate column was encountered in the Knurr formation. In the secondary target, a 54-metre gas/condensate column was encountered in the Stø formation. Reservoir quality as expected.

The preliminary estimation of the size of the discovery is between five and seven million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalents. Further delineation of the discovery will be considered.

The well was not formation tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out.

This is the first exploration well in production licence 533. The licence was awarded in the 20th licensing round.

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 2371 metres below the sea surface and terminated in the Snadd formation in Upper Triassic. The water depth is 348 metres. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Well 7220/10-1 was drilled by the Scarabeo 8 drilling facility, which will now proceed to production licence 229 in the Barents Sea to start drilling operations on the Goliat field, where Eni Norge AS is the operator.